A FORMER Mayor of Kirklees has died.

Mike Bower passed away on June 24, aged 70.

The Lib Dem represented Holme Valley North ward and was mayor in 1998-99.

He left the council in 2003.

Mr Bower was born in Lepton. He did his National Service in the RAF rescue services, then became a registered mental nurse at Storthes Hall Hospital, Kirkburton.

Mr Bower and his wife, Marie, had a daughter and three grand-daughters.

In 1971 he joined the then Huddersfield Polytechnic as a lecturer in nursing studies.

Mr Bower, who lived in Honley, was first elected to Kirklees in 1982, to represent the Honley and Meltham ward. But he lost his seat the following year.

In 1987 Mr Bower was elected for the renamed Holme Valley North ward.

But his election was quashed when a court ruled that, as a lecturer at the polytechnic, he was a Kirklees employee and so ineligible to be a councillor.

Marie won the resulting by-election. Two years later, having taken early retirement, Mr Bower won a seat.

He was also a member of Holme Valley Parish Council.

Kirklees councillors stood for a minute’s silence in memory of Mr Bower at last week’s meeting.

His funeral is at 11.30am next Monday at Honley Parish Church. Cremation is at Huddersfield Crematorium at 1.30pm.